


Nothing Truer in the Universe

by cosmic_llin



Series: Jasmine and Rose [4]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/F, Family, Female Friendship, Femslash, Identity Issues, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-15
Updated: 2015-08-15
Packaged: 2018-04-14 20:25:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4578777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmic_llin/pseuds/cosmic_llin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seven and Sarina's relationship continues to develop, and Seven thinks about her identity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing Truer in the Universe

Aunt Irene loved Sarina right away.

‘Annika, she’s perfect for you!’ she whispered, when they were in the kitchen together getting dessert. ‘Such a sweet girl, so smart, so kind-hearted. I’m so happy. Are you happy?’

Seven looked down at the butterfly bracelet Sarina had given her, the one that she wore every day now, and smiled.

‘I am,’ she said, after a moment. ‘I am very happy.’

‘I’d love to hug you right now,’ said Aunt Irene. ‘May I?’

‘You may,’ said Seven, and stepped forward to meet her halfway.

* * *

‘Do you really think she liked me?’ Sarina asked.

They were sitting on Seven’s bed in her apartment, later that night.

‘Sarina,’ said Seven, with a grin, ‘she was so enthusiastic about you that for a moment I forgot that she was not the one who was in love with you.’

Sarina blushed. _In love_. It still thrilled her to hear Seven say it in her straightforward manner, as if there was nothing truer in the universe. The Earth orbited the sun. The speed of light was 299,792.458 kilometres per second. Seven of Nine was in love with Sarina Douglas.

Several minutes were lost to slow, soft kisses.

‘Seven?’ Sarina asked, when they separated. ‘Should I call you Annika? Your Aunt Irene does. I never even thought to ask.’

Seven frowned. ‘The question of my identity is a complex one,’ she said. ‘Since returning to Earth, I have given a great deal of thought to it, and I still have not come to a satisfactory conclusion. I do not feel as though I am Annika Hansen, yet I am more now than Seven of Nine, too.’

‘I see what you mean,’ said Sarina thoughtfully.

‘When my Aunt Irene calls me Annika,’ Seven continued, ‘it reminds me of my childhood. Perhaps I am more Annika when I am with her. It feels right for her to address me in that manner, but when others have called me by that name in the past I have found myself reacting with… distaste.’

‘That reminds me of a friend of mine,’ Sarina said, nodding. ‘He was genetically enhanced, like I was. He rejected the nickname his parents gave him when he was a child, because he felt like it didn’t fit who he was any more.’

Seven tilted her head, looked at Sarina. ‘That makes sense. I have no wish to reject the name my parents gave me, and yet I do not feel that it reflects my identity. But I’m not sure Seven of Nine does, either. Names are strange things. I used to think of them as merely a convenient way to identify a particular individual, but the more data I collect, the more they seem to contain many complex layers of significance. I find myself wondering whether I would have become a different person, had Admiral Janeway insisted on calling me Annika when I was first removed from the Collective.’

‘Well, if that’s true, I’m glad she didn’t,’ said Sarina. ‘Because I think you’re absolutely perfect just how you are.’

‘Perfect,’ said Seven. ‘I don’t know. Perfection was always my primary goal when I was Borg. Now - I’m not sure. I feel as though I am far from perfect, but I’m no longer certain I wish to be.’

‘Well, you’re the perfect person for me, right now,’ said Sarina. ‘Better?’

‘Better,’ Seven confirmed.

* * *

Introducing Sarina to her Voyager family had been something of a miscalculation, Seven thought.

Admiral Janeway had started on an anecdote about Seven twenty minutes ago and, spurred on by Sarina’s delighted reaction, was showing no signs of stopping. It was worse than Aunt Irene and the baby pictures. Naomi was being of little help - she kept prodding the admiral to add in details she’d forgotten. Seven was glad that she’d had the foresight to bring Sarina to this smaller gathering before exposing her to the entire crew at Chakotay’s barbecue next month. The addition of Tom Paris to this situation would have been entirely too much.

‘Come on, Seven, let’s get some more drinks,’ said B’Elanna.

She at least hadn’t told any embarrassing stories. Yet. Seven got up and followed her.

‘You knew it would be like this,’ B’Elanna said, as they waited for their turn at the replicator.

Seven sighed. ‘The probability seemed high, and yet I still hoped that we might have a quiet, civilised conversation.’

‘Sarina doesn’t seem to mind,’ B’Elanna observed.

Seven looked over. Sarina was giggling at Admiral Janeway, who was telling a story that apparently required expansive gestures. Naomi moved her glass out of the way so that it wouldn’t be knocked over. Seven smiled.

‘Sarina was very nervous about meeting Admiral Janeway,’ she said. ‘I’m glad that she seems comfortable.’

‘The captain… the admiral… was very anxious to make her feel welcome,’ B’Elanna said. ‘Seven - she seems lovely. I’m so happy for you, really. The two of you should come to dinner sometime. It’s been months since you’ve seen Miral.’

‘I would like that,’ Seven said.

‘Come on,’ said B’Elanna, retrieving their tray of drinks from the replicator. ‘Once more unto the breach?’

They headed back to the table.

* * *

‘That was exhausting,’ said Sarina, when they got back to Seven’s apartment. ‘Wonderful, but exhausting. I can barely keep up _talking_ to Admiral Janeway - I can’t imagine what it must be like _being_ her. I’m a little overstimulated - do you mind if we’re quiet for a while?’

‘Not at all,’ said Seven.

She dimmed the lights a little and fetched a PADD to catch up on some reading, while Sarina did some of her breathing exercises. It was comfortable, just inhabiting this space with Sarina, knowing that she was close. She was growing accustomed to it. The apartment seemed quiet now when Sarina was back on the research station.

After a while, like she knew what Seven was thinking, Sarina came to lean on the back of the couch behind her and said, ‘This is nice. Just being quiet together. Sometimes I think this is my favourite part.’

‘Sarina,’ said Seven. ‘There is something I have been meaning to discuss with you.’

‘Go ahead,’ said Sarina.

‘My Aunt Irene suggested - that is, she was curious to know whether we would be making any alterations to our living arrangements. She suggested I might ask you to… move in with me.’

Sarina looked at her thoughtfully. ‘She did, huh? And what do you think about that?’

‘I’m not sure,’ said Seven. ‘I enjoy having you near, and I miss you when you are absent. When you are not here, I spend a great deal of time thinking about you. And yet, having a place to be alone is important to me. And when we are together I often find myself neglecting tasks I had intended to complete. So… I am undecided. I wanted to know your thoughts.’

‘Hmmm,’ said Sarina. ‘I know what you mean. I love visiting here, and I loved it that time you came to the research centre, too. And I miss you when you’re gone.’

‘But?’

‘But… I enjoy my work at the research centre, and I feel safe and secure there. I don’t want to leave it, even if it means I get to live with you. And I don’t think you want to leave Earth and come live with me there, either.’

Seven shook her head.

‘So, let’s just carry on as we are?’ said Sarina. ‘I don’t think we need to do anything that’s not right for us. I like our relationship the way it is now.’

‘As do I,’ said Seven.

She saw her own relief reflected in Sarina’s smile.

‘I’m glad,’ said Sarina. ‘But… that does mean that tonight is our last night together until next month. I have a few ideas for how we might spend it...’

‘I am intrigued to hear them,’ said Seven. ‘But first, there is something I wish to do. I have been thinking about it all week. And I would like for you to be there with me when I do it.’

* * *

It turned out that changing your name officially was a very simple process. All she had to do was fill in a form with her current information, and submit her desired name.

She looked at the form for a few minutes, checking it over for inaccuracies. She read her new name, over and over. She had Sarina check it over for her too.

‘Are you too nervous to submit it?’ Sarina asked at last.

She shook her head. ‘That is ridiculous. I merely want to ensure the information is accurate.’

‘You’re nervous. Come on - you can do it. I’ll hold your hand.’

She took the hand Sarina offered, and squeezed it. She submitted the form. A response came back immediately.

_Thank you for submitting your change of name. Your new name - Seven Hansen - will appear on Earth databases within five days, and all Federation databases within the next ten weeks._

‘Seven Hansen,’ said Sarina. ‘I think I like it.’

‘I… am not sure yet,’ said Seven. ‘It feels like the right name. Perhaps it is. Perhaps it will turn out not to be.’

‘Either way,’ said Sarina, ‘the only way to find out is to try.’


End file.
